Inflection-points bring opportunities for new winners. The two big inflection points in the industrial automation business were the introduction of DCS (by Honeywell in the '70s) and PLCs (invented by Dick Morley and others) also in the 70's. After that there was nothing significant. In my view, wireless will be another inflection point.

Here's the key: The justification for most projects is based on the return on financial investment, which could take years. With wireless, the infrastructure investments (digging cable trenches, pipes, wiring) are reduced immediately, and returns are dramatic. Projects that previously could not be considered become immediately worthwhile. It's win-win all round.

Many of the wireless applications now being discussed in the process industries can and have been achieved with commercial technology. This is similar to how Ethernet migrated from the business world into factory and process environments.

For industrial and process controls, what remains to be settled is a standard for low power, reliable, sensor/actuator wireless networks. Many technologies have been tried, but no standard exists that excels at the combination of very high reliability, ultra low power, and the security needed.

Both ISA's SP-100 Committee and the HART Communications Foundation (HCF) have been working on industrial wireless standards. SP-100 is chartered with a broader scope, extending from sensors and actuators to the boardroom. Wireless HART has already achieved draft standard status; SP-100 is at an earlier stage. Both groups have agreed to use the IEEE 802.15.4 radio standard for the physical layer, and self-organizing mesh network technology for reliability.

Clearly it would be best for the industry to have a single standard. The concepts and direction being pursued by SP-100 are very similar to those of Wireless HART, which should be incorporated as part of the standard. SP-100 should then focus it's efforts on the remaining portions of industrial standards - from the field and the plant to the office and boardroom.

HART originated from Rosemount, now part of Emerson which is Honeywell's primary competitor. But HCF is now "open", with 150+ members that would support standards with proliferation of products and applications. So, Honeywell, just support "Wireless HART" as the SP-100 standard and get on with the business of doing business.

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